Instances When Teams Boycotted ICC Fixtures Or Declined Travelling To The Host Country

Hyderabad: Asia Cup 2025 concluded on Sunday with India emerging as the champions of Asia. They beat Pakistan by five wickets in a thriller played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. However, the tournament had its share of controversies, and most of them were around the India and Pakistan players.

India skipped the customary handshake during the toss and after the match in the group stage fixture between India and Pakistan. Pakistan accused match referee Andy Pycroft of telling skipper Salman Agha not to shake hands with the opposition captain. They threatened to boycott the match against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) if Pycroft officiates. However, they eventually played the match.

It wouldn’t have been the first time if Pakistan had boycotted the match, as the cricket world has witnessed it in the past. Sometimes, the teams pulled out due to security reasons, while sometimes they boycotted the match due to political reasons.

India boycotts the Asia Cup (1986)

India pulled out of the second edition of the continental event due to the strained relations with Sri Lanka, as they were hosting the tournament. India was replaced by the leading Associate nation, Bangladesh. The tournament went ahead without India, and Sri Lanka won the competition eventually.

Asia Cup cancelled (1993)

The whole tournament was cancelled due to strained political relations between India and Pakistan. With the relations between the two countries going out of hand, organisers had no choice but to cancel the tournament. This was the first time that the Asia Cup was completely scrapped.

Australia and the West Indies refuse to travel to Colombo (1996)

During the 1996 Cricket World Cup, Australia and the West Indies refused to travel to Colombo, citing security concerns. The reason behind the decision was the bombing that took place at the Central Bank in Colombo that killed 91 people and injured 1400. Although Sri Lanka and ICC promoted top-level security, both teams opted to forfeit the matches.

New Zealand cancelled the tour of Pakistan (2002)

New Zealand cancelled their tour of Pakistan mid-way after a bomb blast near the team’s hotel in Karachi that took the lives of several people. The explosion occurred outside the Pearl Continental Hotel, where both teams were staying.

Australia cancels tour of Pakistan (2008)

Australia cancelled their tour of Pakistan due to security concerns after terror attacks in Islamabad. The decision was taken after the discussions with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the ICC.